lonesome music

Tammy St John - Dark Shadows and Empty Hallways

2012-05-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

Check it out. With the Summer heat the heartaches begin. If anyone has a better copy on mp3 please leave a comment.

Patsy Matheson and Bonnie and the Clydes

2012-05-16T11:30:00.002-07:00

Well here we have a couple of great songs, one from UK singer Patsy Matheson about the dangers of not appreciating what you have, when what you have is special and the other from a band that promise a return to real country music and go about proving just that with some impressive playing and yodelling. Both albums are well worth checking out and if either are playing near you check them out.

Listen: Patsy Matheson - Hundred Guitars

Buy it

Patsy's Website

Listen: Bonnie and the Clydes - Cowboy Yodel

no idea how to buy this in the UK, but here's their website

My Darling Clementine - She Is Still my Weakness

2012-05-07T03:26:00.000-07:00

There's loads of other lonesome music that I've been meaning to give an airing - a new HAL album (oddly Bee Gee-influenced), several Bonnie Prince Billy albums, Josh Ritter (really good actually) and a new Spain album (not as bad as the last, not as good as the first).

Maybe they'll get a post to themselves, but in the meantime here are My Darling Clementine with classic county-style duet (he's a Tindersticks style baritone, she's a woman wronged). From their album How do you plead? this was the track that made me think about posting again. There's pedal steel, a telecaster twanging somewhere in the corner and a hammond underpinning the whole thing. They are from the UK, but that really doesn't matter.

Listen: My Darling Clementine - She is still my weakness
Buy it

John Martyn - Couldn't love you more

2012-04-11T13:45:00.001-07:00

8 weeks old last Friday. Proper Lonesome service will resume once sleep patterns normalize.

Listen: John Martyn - Couldn't love you more

Fleet Foxes Sing Whitney

2012-02-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

We lost our Dad at the end of last year and music hasn't seemed as comforting as it used to. That said, it seemed fitting to post this today. It's not really Fleet foxes, but that's not the point.

Listen: Fleet Foxes Sing - I wanna dance with somebody

The photo above is my daughter Hannah, born on Friday Feb 10th, she's 2 days old as I write this.

The Unthanks - You are my sister

2011-12-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

Life bumbles along, and months of not being able to listen to music come to an end, wrapped in the cashmere warmth of Mark Eitzel, the Unthanks and Hem. Here the Unthanks make good on their last album, complete with lovely spoken interludes. This is my most listened to album this year already.
Taken from the live album "Diversions, Vol. 1: The Songs of Robert Wyatt and Antony & The Johnsons- Live from the Union Chapel, London", recorded at the end of last year whilst waiting to finish their new album it shows them to be as expert at taking ownership of contemporary songs as older folk songs and tales.

Listen: The Unthanks - You are my sister

Buy it

S'Wonderful - Mark Eitzel

2011-12-09T02:15:00.001-08:00

Stream Mark and Co's louche, jazzy contribution to a programme on the BBC aboutVidal Sassoon - Here

Lonesome on Spotify

2011-11-21T08:35:00.001-08:00

Hello web friends, thank you for your patience,

we have a Spotify Lonesomemusic playlist we'd appreciate you adding to if you can:
http://open.spotify.com/user/h_cos/playlist/1KXb5V5ThDWp2ZGGBlu4fu
or
spotify:user:h_cos:playlist:1KXb5V5ThDWp2ZGGBlu4fu

we'll be posting music soon.

Family bereavement

2011-11-08T06:30:00.001-08:00

Hello web friends, we will be back soon.

AMC - Blue and Grey Shirt

2011-10-28T00:53:00.000-07:00

"Yeah, that's my lucky one."
Listen: AMC - Blue and Grey Shirt

Everly Brothers - Let it be me

2011-10-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Listen: The Everly Brothers - Let it be me

2011-10-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Ella Fitgerald and the Inkspots - Into each life some rain must fall

Raining in my heart

2011-10-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Listen: Buddy Holly - Raining in my Heart

Van Morrison - into the mystic

2011-10-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

Saw this in the Guardian - too good to pass up posting here.

Feel it.

Buy it and the rest of the fantastic Moondance

Thank you Mr Jansch

2011-10-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

If only I could make a thumbpick sound that good. A man of seemingly few words, who, unlike so many people whose music I enjoy, I actually wanted to meet, to see play up close and now that isn't going to happen. I suggest you all go and check his youtube clips, then follow it with some of Davy Graham's and John Martyn's. I'm sure the blogs are awash with tracks, but here are my humble submissions to encourage you to check his albums out:

Listen: Bert Jansch - Needle of Death
Listen: Bert Jansch - Courting Blues

Buy it - better yet get the twofer.

Sanguine

2011-09-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

From the Lonesome vaults...

Listen: The Avett Brothers - Sanguine
Buy it

Listen: Alele Diane - The Pirate's Gospel
Buy it

Nancy & Lee - Summer Wine

2011-09-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Much enjoyment to be had with this album, for me it almost smells of the leather jacket Nancy is wearing on the cover.

Listen: Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Summer Wine

Buy it:

KC and Jon Hopkins

2011-09-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

Have you all got Diamond Mine yet? I haven't heard a more affecting piece of music for a long time.

I saw KC and Jon Hopkins play the whole album earlier this year at Homegame and again last week in Manchester - but really it's one to listen to at home. Although even the most jocular of banter onstage doesn't negate the emotional punch of it all.

This is the one that really gets me. It's a whisper of a thing, really, about the redemptive powers of fatherhood, my namesake, and it makes me go all tight throated:

Listen: King Creosote and Jon Hopkins - Your Young Voice

Dads and fatherhood at the very front of our minds at the moment, people - please send us positive thoughts.

Buy

Lana Del Ray

2011-09-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Blah,blah, no posts for ages, will post more soon. Best thing in ages, check it:

adrian crowley - the beekeeper's wife

2011-07-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

It is increasingly rare that I hear something on radio and immediately it seek out to buy, this song was on Cerys Matthews' radio6 show the other week and just about knocked me off my feet. No idea if it links in with the novel, but the music hums with Summer sweetness.
Apologies if this is all old news to you, but if I hear something and start making favorable comparisons with Mr Eitzel (get well soon Mark) and Leonard Cohen I'm going to make sure I listen to as many songs as I can get my hands on.

Listen: Adrian Crowley - The Beekeeper's Wife

Buy it

John Grant, Jesus and a metaphysical question

2011-07-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Image source and copyright: Leodis, a brilliant archive of old photos of Leeds, with comments. (Comments on this one talk about Woodbine Liz, who I'd only ever thought was Keith Waterhouse character).

I was lucky enough to see John Grant play at the Holy Trinity church last week and it was predictably amazing. Points to note:

- He's got a right pair of lungs on him
- Russian classical piano is a romantic force in any setting (and he's a clever bugger)
- It is strangely satisfying to sing to 'Jesus hates faggots' in a church
- Czars songs still sound ace
- A pleasingly mixed crowd, in all senses (much more so and much more kempt than an AMC audience, but still the same amount of North Face gear)
- And the big question - in the stained glass window, it looks like Jesus is getting the bumps. So, how many bumps would you give him?

Listen: The Czars - Los

Listen: American Music Club - Jesus' Hands (any excuse).

Buy some Czars or, oh come on now, AMC.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

At the risk of a Hi fidelity style cop-out of an ending, today I'm posting this smooth lonesome music you know Scott Walker would have loved in his big hair prime. The whole album is worth a listen. Take it easy now.

Listen: Alice Clark - I Keep It Hid

You can buy it for large amounts of money, or ask nicely...

Boat to Row

2011-06-04T03:43:00.000-07:00

My love of the seaside knows no bounds.

Buy it on a lovely 7" like I did.

Beach Boys - Goin' South

2011-05-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

So early Summer and I'm already hitting the mid-late 70's Beach Boys, it happens every year. This is from their 1979 album L.A., it doesn't come close to their late 60's peak, but I coming to understand the later albums more as I get older myself. Cheesy sax solo, but a great, mournful vocal.

Listen: The Beach Boys - Goin' South

Don't buy it from here - there are much cheaper places.

Schiele

2011-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Just over five years ago this album soundtracked my time in Vienna, fitting really as Schiele's pictures were displayed at the Belvedere and his portrait 'De Familie' made me cry. It was a surprise for me too.

The painting is infinitely more moving than any photograph of it, so go and see it if you have the chance.

The music is equally stark and architectural and fitting for today.

Listen: Rachel's - Egon and Wally embrace and say farewell